Kopsia singaporensis
Encyclopedia
Kopsia singaporensis is a species of plant
in the Apocynaceae
family. It is found only in Peninsular Malaysia
and Singapore
. It is threatened by habitat loss. It can grow up to five metres tall. When cut, white latex is produced. The flower has five petals. In Singapore, the tree can only be found in the Nee Soon Swamp Forest. In the wild, it flowers only twice a year, but when cultivated
, it is free-flowering if grown under the right conditions.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae
The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
family. It is found only in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It is threatened by habitat loss. It can grow up to five metres tall. When cut, white latex is produced. The flower has five petals. In Singapore, the tree can only be found in the Nee Soon Swamp Forest. In the wild, it flowers only twice a year, but when cultivated
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, it is free-flowering if grown under the right conditions.
Source
- Chua, L.S.L. 1998. Kopsia singaporensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 August 2007.